Secret Admirer
by Jade4
Summary: A reworking of the 80's movie 'Secret Admirer' featuring Jareth and Sarah
1. Secret Admirer

Secret Admirer  
By Jade  
  
  
Pulling a sheet from the drawer, she placed it neatly on the desktop. Taking a deep breath, she  
held the pen in her hand, trying to think of what to write. The pen flowed effortlessly over the  
white paper, forming eloquent words not to be taken lightly. Soon, this letter would find the  
writer's true love, in the hopes that he would possibly return the feelings.   
  
Her eyes looked it over, each delicate word showing a little bit of herself. Once she was satisfied,  
she signed it simply with x's and o's. Smiling faintly, she folded it and placed it in an envelope,  
signing the name Jareth across the front. Her heart fluttering in her chest, she knew it was  
something she had to do. She had to tell him, she had to let him know that after all these years,  
she had fallen in love with him.   
  
Slipping it into a book, she sighed softly, knowing that she had to get ready for the party. Getting  
to her feet, she began making herself ready; all the while her mind was on him and the letter.   
  
**********  
  
"Are you ready?" he asked, waiting for her reply. It amazed him that as time passed, he and Sarah  
had become good friends. She had seen him through good times and bad, and he knew she would  
always be there.   
  
"Just a sec," she replied, fastening a small purse shut. Getting to her feet, she smiled at him as he  
took her hand. A moment later, she was in the middle of a party.  
  
"Go mingle, Sarah. There are many eligible men here this evening," he whispered in her ear, while  
eying another guest. "I'll see you later."  
  
"Okay," she replied, as she watched him go. She couldn't help but wonder who had his attention  
this time. No sooner did she wonder, than she saw him sidle up to a voluptuous blonde.   
"Figures," she grinned, then turned around to find anyone that she might know.   
  
"Sarah!" the voice cut through the confusion. "It's about time you got here," Toni said, smiling at  
her friend.   
  
"Hey Toni, how's the party?" Sarah asked.  
  
"Great, and Jareth even let me bring Mike," she replied happily. As if on cue, muscled arms  
encircled her waist and a chin rested lightly on her shoulder.  
  
"Hi Mike," Sarah said.  
  
"Hey there Sarah, great party."  
  
"Maybe you should tell Jareth that," she smiled.   
  
"Yo! Jareth, cool party!" he yelled across the assembly, making Sarah cringe in embarrassment.   
Jareth simply nodded and went back to his conversation. "So, Sarah, what's up?" he asked  
politely.  
  
"Not much Mike, and you?" she replied.  
  
"Well now, isn't this a pleasure?" Jareth said, looking over the trio. His gaze landed on Toni.   
"How are you this evening Toni?" he asked, smiling softly at her. Her beauty caught his eye the  
first time he had met Sarah's friend.   
  
"Fine, thanks for letting us come." she replied.  
  
"Nonsense, a friend of Sarah's is a friend of mine. Enjoy the party," he retorted, taking her hand  
as grazing it with his lips.  
  
"Okay, enough of that." Mike stated, pulling her hand away possessively.  
  
Jareth smiled and walked away. The rest of the evening was filled with song, dance and laughter  
as the guests enjoyed their surroundings. Jareth watched Toni most of the evening. How odd  
that such a creature could escape his notice for so long. As the party began to dissipate, Jareth  
said his goodbyes then found solace in the silence.   
  
Jareth went to his throne and sat down, wanting to rest for just a bit before having to deal with  
anything else. Feeling something beneath him, he reached underneath himself and pulled out an  
envelope. Looking at it with interest, he noticed his name written on the front. Pulling out the  
paper inside, he stared at the writing as he read the words.  
  
---I don't know how to tell you what I want to tell you, so I'm writing it down. I'll never find the  
nerve to give you this letter anyway. When I look at you, I can't take my eyes off of you. I long  
to have your arms around me and feel your body against mine. Oh god, I'm such a jerk. I know  
you don't fell like I do, which is why I don't have the courage to sign this. But I just love you  
more than words can say.  
XXXOOOXXX------  
  
Jareth lowered the letter, his eyes taking in the form of a goblin before him. His mind wandered  
trying to decipher the letter. Who could have left it for him? There were so many guests, how  
would he know which one? He knew who he wanted it to be, Toni.   
  
"Yer highness?" the goblin said, attracting Jareth's attention.  
  
"What?" he asked, his mind still on the letter in his hand. He looked at the goblin. "What do you  
think? Do you think she sent me the letter?" he stated, not really caring one way or another.  
  
"Letter?" the goblin asked, confused already.  
  
"Yes. A, shall we say, love letter," he stated, his expression serious.  
  
"Well why not yer majesty? You's a good lookin' fella. Any woman would surely fall for the likes  
of you," the goblin replied.  
  
"Quite right," he replied, getting to his feet. "There is a party tomorrow, I know she'll be there,"  
he plotted; already having his mind set that it was her. "I shall have her."  
  
"Yes yer majesty," the goblin replied, before the King left the room. "Hope he knows wha he  
doin'," he muttered softly.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next evening Jareth stood among the crowded room. Now out of his normal environment, he  
felt a bit conspicuous. Searching the crowd for Toni, he finally spotted her standing with Mike.   
That no good, rotten excuse for a man has finally met his match. Jareth smiled when he notice  
Mike walk away from her. "Time to make my move," he said quietly.   
  
Making his way through the crowd, he finally reached her standing by a set of stairs. Smiling, he  
stopped right in front of her, his eyes drinking in her form, beautiful as always.   
  
"Jareth, what are you doing here?" she asked, in shock that he would leave his castle.   
  
"I got a letter yesterday," he whispered softly.  
  
"A letter? How nice for you, now will you please go away?" she asked, worried by his strange  
behavior.   
  
"When I look at you," he began, spouting off various phrases of the letter he had memorized word  
for word.   
  
Sarah stopped short on the steps, hidden by the wall. Jareth, here?' she thought, wondering what  
he was up to now.   
  
"What are you doing Jareth? Are you drunk?" Toni asked, trying to get away from him any way  
she could.  
  
"Only with love for..." Jareth broke off abruptly. "Mike, how are you?" he asked.  
  
"What are doing here Jareth?" Mike asked, eying him suspiciously.   
  
"Jareth, there you are. I have been looking all over for you," Sarah stated, poking her head  
around the corner.   
  
"Did you bring him Sarah?" Mike asked, looking from one to the other.  
  
"Yeah, he's a great dancer. Jareth, care to dance?" she said, grasping his arm and pulling him into  
the crowd.   
  
Moving to a secluded corner, Jareth stopped suddenly. "I better be going before I ruin your  
evening more than I already have."  
  
"Don't be silly," she replied, a faint smile lighting up her features.   
  
"Goodbye Sarah," he uttered as he disappeared in front of her.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Later that evening, Sarah sat in her room, thinking about everything that had transpired over the  
night. A faint tapping on her window caught her attention. Opening it, Jareth stood on the other  
side. "What are you doing here? Are you crazy?" she asked, her voice soft.  
  
"Would you like to go somewhere?" he asked, really needing a friend who understood him.  
  
"Now?" she asked, noting the time.  
  
"Oh come on Sarah," he replied, looking at her and giving her a smile he knew she wouldn't resist.   
He watched her turn around and grab her jacket.   
  
"Shh... You'll wake my dad," she whispered as he helped her out the window.  
  
Setting her down on her feet beside him, he grinned. "Shh... you'll wake your dad." he mocked.   
Pulling the window down softly, they walked off through the night.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sitting beside Jareth, she listened intently to him go on and on about her friend. How beautiful  
she was, almost perfection. Then the next thing really caught her attention and she found herself  
staring back at him.  
  
"What letter?" she asked, intrigued with this new subject.  
  
"A silly letter I should not have paid so much attention to," Jareth stated, stretching out on his  
back on the ground. "Perhaps it isn't even real. I bet it is just a joke. Hedgewart, I'll kill him."   
  
Sarah looked at him, stretched out beside him, thinking of what to say. "Ow, this isn't that  
comfortable," she stated.  
  
"Oh, here," he offered, stretching his arm beneath her head. "Better?" he mused.  
  
"Yes, thanks. Maybe the letter is real," she said.  
  
"Perhaps, but I doubt Toni would have given it to me. I just wish I knew what I found so  
intoxicating about her," he muttered softly. Jareth turned to look at Sarah beside him. "Thanks  
for helping me out tonight. Could have been quite a messy situation," he said, running his finger  
down the side of her face lightly. "I better get you back."  
  
Getting to his feet, he grasped her hands and pulled her up easily. Walking her back, he went  
through the whole chain of events that led him to believe that Toni might have written it. Oh how  
he wished she would have.  
  
"If you really like her all that much Jareth, why don't call her and tell her? You can use my  
phone," she offered.  
  
"I can't do that. Not after what I did tonight," he stated.  
  
"Then write her a letter."  
  
"Oh sure, then she will rip it up as soon as she notices who it is from. Wonderful plan Sarah," he  
smiled.  
  
"Don't sign it. Have someone else give it to her, and if she doesn't like it, then she won't know  
who it's from. Then you'll have nothing to worry about," Sarah offered.  
  
"That's a good idea, why didn't I think of that?" he mumbled to himself. "I could write her a  
letter, and you could give it to her," he said then changed his mind. "No, you have already done  
enough for me."   
  
"I have?" she asked.  
  
"Yes. You're a good friend Sarah," he said, kissing her cheek lightly then disappearing.  
  
Sarah stared at the empty space then headed home.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning, while Jareth slept, a lone goblin made his way into his bedchamber. Sneaking  
quietly toward the closet, it noticed a paper lying solely on the top of Jareth's dresser. Slinking  
closer, the goblin picked it up and glanced down at the words. He, being one of Jareth's smarter  
goblins, smiled as he looked down through the same black writing.  
  
Jareth stirred, causing the goblin to jump. Remembering his task, he grabbed what laundry he  
could find, and made his way out the door, the letter still in his grubby little hands. Dropping the  
laundry off, he failed to notice the letter laying amongst the bundle of clothes.   
  
"There ye be," he said, grinning at the young goblin that took notice to his being there.   
  
"Is that all?" one of the older females asked, glancing his way briefly.  
  
"Yep," he replied, then left as quickly as he came.   
  
Walking over to the bundle, she picked up the paper and tossed it aside onto another bundle of  
clothes. She had no use for paper. She couldn't have read it anyway.   
  
Another goblin made his way through, picking up the bundles already done. "This Hoggle's?" he  
asked, looking down at the clothes in front of him.  
  
"Yep, said I'd do em, so I did," she replied, and shooed him away.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Hoggle opened his door to find his clothes on the doorstep. Bringing them inside, he started  
putting them away and came across a paper that caught his eye. Looking it over, his cheeks  
flushed with color as he wondered who would send him such a letter. Looking out the window,  
he could see many he knew and yet none capable of such a feat. Sighing in resignation, a knock  
at the door startled him.  
  
"Comin', comin'" he called, making his way to the door and pulling it open. A small fairy floated  
in his eyesight. Reaching for his can of spray, he raised it, poised to spray the no good fairy, but  
stopped himself. Looking at her, he smiled. "Well li'l lady, what cans I do fer ya?" he asked  
politely.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sarah sat looking at her watch. He said he'd be here by eight, she thought to herself. Glancing  
up, she saw Jareth walking towards her, a big smile on his face. Sliding into the booth, he grinned  
at her and flopped an envelope down in front of her.  
  
"Didn't think I would do it, did you?" he asked, looking around.  
  
"What's this?" she asked, indicating the envelope as she picked it up.  
  
"The letter. You suggested it, remember?" he asked.  
  
"I remember," she muttered, tossing it down on the table and grabbing her drink.   
  
"So, when are you going to give it to her? Tonight?" he prodded impatiently.  
  
"I don't know, will you just calm down?" she stated, smiling at his boyish charm.  
  
"I can't calm down until I know what comes of it."  
  
"If you don't calm down, I'll " she started picking up the letter and holding it in her hands.  
  
"What?" he glanced up. "Sarah, don't," he warned.  
  
"Or what?" she chuckled as she threatened ripping the letter in two.  
  
"Come on Sarah," he soothed.   
  
Sarah smiled and laid it on the table. "You know I wouldn't have done it, don't you?" she grinned.   
  
  
"Yes, I know," he replied, a grin crossing his face.  
  
"I'll give it to her tomorrow. Look Jareth, if it's meant to happen between two people it'll happen.   
You can't push it."  
  
"Thanks," he replied. "What's this?" he asked, picking up a brochure. "School afloat?"  
  
Sarah took it from his hand. "Yeah."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were going to do this? We're friends Sarah, why didn't you even  
mention it?" he asked, a hurt tone in his voice.  
  
"I just did it," she replied softly, shrugging her shoulders. Jareth just stared at her, not wanting to  
think about losing his friend. He watched blindly as she got to her feet. "I have to go. I'll talk to  
you later Jareth." Sarah walked out the door leaving a very stunned Jareth behind her.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Walking into her room, she turned on the lights, illuminating a picture beside her lamp. Tossing  
down her keys and the envelope on her desk, an odd thought struck her. What would he write to  
someone he thought to be in love with? Looking at the envelope, an idea flitted through her  
mind. Gently picking it up, she held it to the light, not sure of what she was doing.  
  
"No, this is wrong," she mumbled, dropping it back down to the desk. "He's my friend, and I just  
can't do things like that," she rationalized to herself.  
  
Picking it up once again, she left her room and walked into the kitchen. Putting a kettle of water  
on the stove, she stared at the envelope. The same envelope that took all her hopes and dreams  
away with just one swipe of the pen. The kettle whistled as the steam flowed freely.   
  
Sarah got to her feet, and held the letter in her hand over the steam. Within a few seconds, the  
envelope opened easily, and she pulled out the paper within. Looking at it, she began to read:   
"*My dearest darling, Love is the flower of time and every petal that falls is an eternal moment  
without you.* Oh Jareth, this is dog doo." she muttered, folding it up again. A thought struck  
her. Wadding up the paper, she made her way back to her room. Pulling out a sheet of paper,  
she placed it in front of her on the desk and began write, speaking the words aloud as she did so.  
  
"I have finally found the courage to write you a letter. You may never know who I am, but that  
hasn't stopped you from giving me the greatest gift I've ever known." She paused to look at his  
picture in front of her. "Idiot," she smirked, then returned to the letter. "If for just one brief  
moment I could feel your lips against mine, I would die a happy man."  
  
Sarah folded the paper and put it in the envelope. Her heart heavy with sadness, she turned off  
the light and fell asleep.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"This is so great! You have to tell me who wrote this," Toni said, clutching the letter in her hand.  
  
"I can't Toni, I promised I wouldn't," Sarah replied, looking at a magazine left on Toni's kitchen  
table.  
  
"I think I'm in love," Toni replied.  
  
"How do you know that? You don't even know who wrote it," Sarah retorted.  
  
"Where is everyone?" a voice called from the living room.  
  
"In here mom," Toni called back.  
  
The door swung open revealing a woman smiling back at them. "Hello Sarah. Where's your  
father Toni?"  
  
"Sleeping," she replied.  
  
"Great! The one night I don't work and he pulls the nightshift. Splendid," she replied, setting her  
things on the table and walking back through the door.   
  
"Now tell me who wrote the letter!" Toni demanded.  
  
"No can do Toni, I promised. Anyhow, what about Mike?" Sarah asked walking to the door.  
  
"What about Mike? He's the same as any other jock," Toni responded.  
  
Sarah pulled the door open to find Mike on the other side, ready to knock. "Hi Mike," she said  
with a smile, ducking under his arm on her way out.  
  
"Later Sarah," he called after her. "Hey gorgeous, how's about a little kiss?" he asked, stepping  
closer to Toni.  
  
Toni hid the letter behind her back. "Come and get it," she teased, walking backwards toward the  
table. Feeling around for her mother's purse, she stuffed her letter inside to keep it away from  
Mike. The door burst open suddenly and the two jump apart.  
  
"Hello there sweet pea," the deep voice said, as his eyes took in the form of the dreaded  
boyfriend.  
  
"Hi daddy," Toni replied.  
  
"Hello Lieutenant sir," Mike said politely.  
  
He looked Mike up and down, while grabbing his wife's purse. "Uh-huh. Just you keep in mind  
Mikey my boy, you get her pregnant, and I doubt anyone will miss you," he stated, patting his  
pistol in its holster.  
  
"Daddy!" Toni exclaimed as her father walked away. "Oh god, I think I want to die."  
  
Putting the purse on the shelf, he pulled out everything just to get the wallet. Putting everything  
back inside, he found a folded paper lying amongst the clutter. Unfolding it, he read the words,  
anger flowing through his veins at the thought of another man trying to get the attention of his  
wife. Hearing her enter the room with her soft humming, he crammed it back into her purse, and  
turned around to smile at her.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sarah, walking down her street, jumped when Jareth suddenly appeared in front of her. Regaining  
her senses, she shook her head and kept walking.   
  
"You shouldn't do that to people Jareth," she said, knowing he was not far behind.  
  
"Do what?" he asked innocently.  
  
"Pop in on someone just to do it. You shouldn't use your magic for everything, you know."  
  
"Hmm? Yes, yes I will try to keep that in mind. So?" he asked, barely able to contain his  
excitement.  
  
"So what?" she asked, not slowing her pace.  
  
"Did she like it?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, Jareth, she liked it," she answered, looking straight ahead.  
  
Grabbing her arm, he stopped her and turned her around. "But she said she really liked it, right?"  
he asked again.  
  
"Yes, she really liked it, now let go." Sarah replied, yanking her arm away.   
  
"I think I should write her another one, what do you think Sarah?" he asked.  
  
Sarah, exasperated by everything, threw her hands up in the air and walked away. Jareth stood  
and watched her go before disappearing himself.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jareth sat on his throne, writing diligently. His hand moved swiftly as the words crossed the  
paper. When he finished, he read over what he had written. "Oh, what crap!" he exclaimed,  
wondering how the first letter ever made such an impact. "So I can't write letters as eloquently as  
I should like. So? At least I have an excellent voice," he smiled.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sarah stood in her kitchen once again looking over Jareth's letter of affection. "Oh good grief  
Jareth, this won't do. What crap!" she stated, crumpling up the paper once again, then proceeded  
to fix the situation once again.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next day, Sarah handed Toni the letter, then sat down and rummaged through magazines  
once again. Looking at Toni's image in the mirror, she could tell already that Jareth's letter had  
made quite an impression.  
  
"Oh my," Toni breathed, hardly able to think straight. "You have to tell me who wrote these,  
please?" she begged, clutching the letter in her hands with a content smile upon her face.   
  
Sarah dropped the magazine she had been holding. "Alright," she said, catching Toni's happy  
expression in the mirror. "You want to meet him tonight?" she asked casually.  
  
Toni shook her head, already losing the basic function of speech.   
  
Sarah picked up the phone and dialed her number; she had told Jareth to wait there for her call.   
"Do you want to meet her tonight?" she asked, not believing that she was setting up her two best  
friends.  
  
"Does she know who I am?" Jareth's voice flowed across the line.  
  
"No, that's why she wants to meet. Be at the park at eight tonight," she stated.   
  
"Wait a minute, what should I wear?" he asked, wanting to make a good impression.  
  
"A paper bag over your head," Sarah replied sarcastically. Hanging up the phone, she looked at  
Toni. "It's all set," she stated with a small smile.  
  
"Thank you Sarah," Toni replied, then looked perplexed.   
  
"What's the matter?" Sarah asked.  
  
"What on Earth should I wear?" she replied, heading for her closet full of clothes.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Later that same evening, Toni's mother Sue, went to class as usual. Only this time, her husband  
Rick was following her. Still upset about the letter he found, he was intent on finding out who the  
threat to his marriage was.  
  
Walking into the classroom, Sue walked to her desk at the front and sat down. Being the teacher,  
she looked across the room, seeing many of her friends that she had known for years, who was  
now taking night school to better their education. As the night progressed, she handed out a quiz  
for her students to fill out.   
  
Using this quiet time, she looked over papers, making notes here and there, until finally her pen  
ran out of ink. Tossing it in the garbage, she reached into her purse for another only to find a  
paper that had not been there before. Pulling it out, she unfolded it and read the writing. Feeling  
a sense of awkwardness, she glanced across the room, her mind wondering who would put such a  
letter in her purse.   
  
Letting her eyes drift across the different faces, she stopped abruptly at one. Sarah's father had  
been taking her class, and she knew him for many years. Was it possible he had such feeling for  
her? At that precise time, he looked up and smiled a friendly smile. That's it, he must have done  
it', she thought to herself, offering a small smile in return.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Toni walked through the park to where Sarah had told her to wait. Sitting down on the nearest  
bench, she kept a watchful eye for her secret admirer. With nervousness creeping up on her, she  
didn't notice Jareth standing behind her. As he laid a hand upon her shoulder, Toni jumped,  
turning quickly to see Jareth smiling back at her.  
  
"Hi Toni," he said politely.  
  
"Jareth, what are you doing here?" she asked, surprise filling her voice. Still glancing around, she  
did not want to miss her chance to meet the one she was waiting for.  
  
"How are you?" he asked pleasantly.  
  
"Look Jareth, I'd love to shoot the breeze, but I am waiting for someone," she stated bluntly. "So  
if you wouldn't mind..." she said, motioning him along.  
  
"You are waiting for me," he replied, sitting down beside her.  
  
"I am really not in the mood for this," she retorted, wishing he would just go away.  
  
"I wrote the letters," Jareth offered, seeing her hesitancy in believing him.  
  
"Huh?" she muttered, her attention drawn to what he was saying.  
  
"The letters Sarah gave you, I wrote them," he stated, a pleased smile upon his lips.  
  
"You?" she asked in shock. He was the last one she would have ever thought of.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the class ended, Sue watched the students begin to file out. Feeling as though she would  
miss the chance to know if he was the one to write the letter, she called out to Sarah's father.  
  
"Robert, do you have a second?" she asked, casually glancing at the book in front of her.  
  
"Sure Sue, what is it?" he replied politely, coming back to stand in front of her desk.  
  
"I was just wondering if you would like to go for a cup of coffee? Talk about the course, among  
other things." she said.  
  
"Sure Sue, why not? I don't think my wife will mind," he replied, a grin on his face.  
  
"Good," she replied, smiling wider. Picking up her things, she walked out to the parking garage  
with him, all the while not knowing that her husband was watching her from a distance.  
  
"Williams, I'm gonna kill him." Rick muttered, the anger seeping through his blood at the sight of  
his wife with another man.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	2. Secret Admirer pt 2

Jareth had borrowed Sarah's car for his wooing of Toni. One just couldn't date without one, now  
could they? Opening the door, he helped Toni inside and shut the door behind her. Climbing into  
the driver's seat, he turned the key and the engine came to life. Almost ready to put the car in  
gear, Toni broke his thoughts.  
  
"Jareth, what did you mean by, you've given me the greatest gift'?" she asked, her voice soft and  
sultry.  
  
Jareth, caught off guard by the question, had no idea what she was talking about. Trying to cover  
as best as he could, under the circumstances, he searched his mind for any excuse he could think  
of. "Well, Toni, I was referring to the whole concept of giving in general." he replied, cringing  
inwardly, knowing how awful that sounded.  
  
"Wow, yeah, I know what you mean," she replied, putting Jareth in a state of shock. "Just think  
though, if you hadn't written those letters, I'd be out with Mike tonight," she added. "I know this  
great place we should go."  
  
"Where?" he asked, still mystified that she bought that line of bull.  
  
"Turn here," she pointed to the right and a small road off to the side that led to a wide-open  
space, overlooking the whole city. Moving closer to him, she kissed his neck, already trying to  
get a jump on the evening before they were even parked.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sarah, not happy with how her night was going, climbed the hill that overlooked the point. Not  
only could she see all the idiots parking below, but the city lights were wonderful from this view.   
Pulling the tab on her soda, she took a drink from the can. Something familiar caught her eye,  
and her mood disintegrated.   
  
Her car pulled up in a vacant spot. "Great," she said then continued, "I hate you Jareth," she  
muttered, her voice full of sadness and not knowing what to do now. Deciding to leave so as not  
to spoil the rest of her evening, she got to her feet, but dropped her can when she spotted Mike's  
car. "Oh no," she breathed, looking toward her car. By that time, Mike had already begun going  
from car to car in search of Toni.  
  
Sarah hurriedly made her way down the hill, her mind frantically searching for some way to stop  
Mike from reaching her car. Running up beside him, nearly out of breath, she smiled as best she  
could.   
  
"Hi Mike," she said, trying to draw his attention. Didn't work.  
  
"Hey Sarah," he uttered back, as he moved to the next car.  
  
"What are you doing, Mike?" she tried again, still no go.  
  
"Looking for Toni. She's out with some creep and when I get my hands on him, I'm gonna kill  
him." he replied angrily.  
  
"Forget Toni, you could do so much better Mike. There are plenty of girls out there just waiting  
for the chance to be with you," she said, another car closer to Jareth.  
  
Mike stopped to look at her. "Yeah? Like who?" he asked, eying her suspiciously.  
  
"Well, like me." she answered quickly, regretting her choice in words, but would follow through  
with it to keep Jareth and Toni in one piece. Grabbing his hand, she placed it on her chest. "Can't  
you feel my heart pounding?" she asked, her eyes searching his.  
  
"Got a pretty big heart there," he smiled.  
  
"You want to go somewhere? Just the two of us?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure why not?" he replied, looking her up and down. "Let's go. You know, I've always  
liked you Sarah," he said, wrapping his arm around her and leading her away from the line of cars.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What are we doing here Sue?" Robert asked, taking in the familiar sight of the town below.  
  
"Just thought we could use the quiet to talk," she replied, looking over at him. Then all of a  
sudden she shrieked in horror and squished down in the seat.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked, finding it a bit silly that a grown woman would be hiding in a place  
like this.   
  
"My daughter is in the next car," she squealed. "Get us out of here Robert!" she shrieked.   
  
"But you're the one that brought us here Sue," he mused.  
  
"Get down, I don't want her to see you!" she yelled, grabbing his shirt and yanking him down into  
the seat. "I'll get us out of here and that will be that." she said, starting the car, and backing it out  
without looking much further over the dash, making their great escape.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Mike opened the door to his room. Motioning Sarah in, he followed her, shutting the door  
quietly behind them. Walking over to the bed, he flopped down, not so gracefully, and stared at  
her as she looked around the room.   
  
Sarah, really out of place now, wouldn't look at Mike. She was thinking of some way to get out  
of the mess she got herself into. Biting her lip, she decided to try chitchat.   
  
"So this is where you live, huh?" she said, her eyes wandering across the detestable posters lining  
his walls.  
  
"Yeah," he grinned, then grabbed her arm and yanked her down upon his chest. "Well now, why  
don't we just get down to it?"   
  
"Mike, do you have a bathroom in this place?" she asked, trying to remain calm and collected. He  
would just love for her to be afraid of him.   
  
"Yeah, sure," he nodded to a door.   
  
Sarah got up, and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her. "I am so stupid," she  
muttered, looking around to see what was there. Her eyes fell on a window. Her mind screamed  
escape as her fingers undid the lock and she pushed the window open. Crawling out, she was  
relieved to be free.   
  
"Hey Sarah," Mike called, getting to his feet. "I don't think this is such a good idea. I mean, this  
just doesn't feel right. I love Toni, God help me I don't want to, but I do. I just don't think this is  
going to work out with us," he said, now standing by the door. He knocked softly. "Sarah?" he  
said, grabbing the knob after no reply. Turning it slowly, he peeked his head inside to find empty  
space and the window open. "Sarah?"   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jareth walked Toni up to the door, a smile upon his face at the fond memories of the night.   
Although it was merely a make out session, he was gratified that things were moving along  
smoothly, and he hadn't used his magic yet.  
  
"I had fun tonight," Toni said, her eyes twinkling by the light of the moon.   
  
"As did I," he replied smoothly.  
  
"I have never gone out with someone like you before," she stated, her smile taking Jareth's breath  
away.   
  
"I am not like everyone else, Toni." he replied, pulling her closer. Pressing his lips against hers,  
he relished the feel of her body close to his, until she pulled away.   
  
"Daddy," she said, wishing he would have shown up and a more opportune time. "When is your  
birthday, Jareth?" she asked.  
  
"Saturday actually," he replied, a smile lighting up his features.   
  
"Really? We should have a party then, don't you think? Call me tomorrow?" she kissed him  
lightly. Jareth shook his head yes. "Promise?" she asked softly.  
  
Jareth nodded and watched the vision of loveliness walk into the house, just before her father  
walked by and growled at him. As the door shut, Jareth stood in thought. "Odd family." he  
muttered, walking back to the car.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The next day, Sarah sat on her bed, looking through photographs when her phone rang. Picking  
it up, she put the receiver up to her ear to find Toni on the other end.   
  
"Hi Sarah, it's Toni," came the voice. Sitting in front of her mirror, she was primping herself for  
the coming evening. Another date with Jareth.  
  
"Hi Toni," Sarah replied.  
  
"I have a big favor to ask you. Now you can say no, but it would mean an awful lot to me." Toni  
started, rambling away as usual. "It's Jareth's birthday on Saturday and I was thinking we should  
throw him a party. Now I can't have it here, not only is it bridge club night, but you know how  
daddy is, he'd kill me. So I was thinking maybe we could have it at your place."  
  
"Toni, no. I promised my parents," Sarah interjected.  
  
"Come on Sarah, please, please. It would mean a lot. We're going out tonight, and I wanted to  
surprise him." Toni implored.  
  
"No, I can't" she replied.  
  
"Please, you won't have to do a thing, I'll take care of it all. Please?" she begged.  
  
"Oh, alright." Sarah conceded. She hated to hear Toni beg. Hanging up the phone, she could  
hear her parents now. Sarah had a terrible feeling about the whole thing.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jareth again picked Toni up for yet another date. When the door swung open, he found himself  
staring at a goddess leaning against the doorframe. Regaining his composure, he smiled. "You  
look ravishing this evening," he said, taking in her form.   
  
"I should after all the trouble I went to just to find this outfit. You have no idea how many miles I  
must have walked while shopping."  
  
"I saw an interesting movie last night," Jareth started, just trying to make interesting conversation,  
but was cut off by her insistent babbling. Jareth found himself wondering if there was anything  
more important to her other than clothes. Even during the drive over, she talked nonstop about  
stores, miles, money, fabric, this and that. Enough to drive a sane man batty.  
  
As he sat there in the restaurant, he had lost track of what she babbled about now. How boring  
this night was. Where was the fun, the excitement, the casual conversation? Bored beyond  
comprehension, he sighed and glanced up to catch sight of Sarah. Smiling, he waved at her.  
  
"Who is it?" Toni asked, pausing in her rambling just long enough to look. "Oh hi Sarah!" she  
called, turning her attention back to Jareth. "Now take Sarah for instance, don't get me wrong, I  
like her a lot, but she doesn't know the first thing about clothes. She would be so much more  
attractive if she'd pay attention to what she wore." she stated. Taking another bite of her food,  
she smiled. "Did you see that movie last night?"   
  
Jareth finally perked up with interest. "Yes, that is the movie I was referring to earlier." he  
smiled.   
  
"God, those clothes were great," she began.  
  
Jareth sighed. Here we go again,' he thought to himself.   
  
Finally relieved when dinner was over with, he pulled into her driveway and she apologized for  
making his evening a rotten time. Smiling, she kissed him softly and said goodnight, promising  
that she'll make it up to him on his birthday.   
  
Watching her walk to the house, he contemplated the insinuations of her last statement. Make it  
up to him? What did she have in mind? Only a few more days until he would find out. Still  
unsure of everything, Jareth made his way back to his castle. Sitting in silence, he pulled a drawer  
open and pulled out a picture of Sarah and studied it carefully. His friend.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Hoggle, figured out that the fairy, little biting sucker that she was, wasn't the one that passed that  
note along to him. He decided he would go the castle and talk to the laundry mistress and see if  
perhaps she had a soft spot for him. With a smile and a soft chuckle, he trudged off through the  
Labyrinth.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sarah stood in her kitchen, cleaning up the messes that seemed to come from the guest. "Sure I  
don't have to do a thing," she remarked sarcastically as one of the guests came wandering in.   
  
"Hey there Sarah, nice party," he said, a smile on his face. "You sure are a good friend to throw a  
party like this. Did you hear what Toni's giving Jareth for his birthday?" he chided.  
  
"No, what's she giving him?" she asked, looking at the boy in front of her.  
  
"Oh, maybe I shouldn't say anything. It is a rumor after all," he stated, noticing her edginess.   
  
"Fine, don't tell me. I don't want to know." she replied, walking across the kitchen.  
  
"It's just that, well, she's going to give him the gift every man would want," he stated, a pleased  
smile upon his face.   
  
Sarah looked at him as it dawned on her what he was talking about. As unbelievable as it  
sounded, she knew it sounded just like Toni. Not wanting to think about it, she pushed it from  
her mind and continued what she was doing.   
  
Setting the cake out on the counter, she placed a few candles across the top. Who would have  
thought she would be holding a party for him? Grinning, she grabbed knife and lit the candles.   
Carefully carrying it out, she could hear everyone singing to him. Toni made him instantly known  
by all her friends.   
  
Sitting it down on the table, she moved back and watched as Jareth blew out the candles. He  
turned to flash her a smile, before picking up the knife. Halfway through cutting the first piece,  
Sarah saw Toni lean over and whisper in his ear, taking the knife from his hand. She watched  
helplessly as Toni led him up the stairs to get his birthday' present.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
At Toni's house, her parents were hosting the bridge club that night. It was time for the winners  
to move up and the losers, back. Robert and his wife moved up to sit at the table with Sue and  
Rick. Glancing around, Sue was nervous considering the last time she saw Robert she made a  
fool of herself.   
  
Rick tried desperately to hold his temper, but snapped at the thought of Robert, his friend, with  
his wife. He attacked Robert with lightening speed. Before they knew what was happening, the  
whole night had turned into a shambles.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jareth, watched in anticipation as Toni shed her clothing. There before him was the vision of  
perfection, eager and willing, but was he so willing? He watched her close the distance between  
them until her lips brushed his. Jareth took a step back.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked.  
  
"You know, I was all set to ravage your body tonight," he started, then continued. "But I can't.   
It just doesn't feel right. Not like this."  
  
"What are they gonna think if we don't do it?" she replied, caring more about appearances.  
  
"I don't care," he responded.  
  
"Well I do!" she stated harshly as she pulled her clothes back on. "When we go back downstairs,  
you act as though it was the best experience you ever had." she demanded as she pulled the door  
open. Walking down the stairs, she put on a big smile and thanked everyone for making his  
birthday so special.   
  
Jareth walked down behind her and passed Sarah sitting on the steps. "Thanks Sarah," he uttered  
quietly. She simply nodded and watched him go.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Jareth dropped off a fuming Toni. On her way inside, she heard her parents arguing, but didn't  
pay it much heed. She rushed through the room, slamming her bedroom door behind her.   
Feeling sorry for herself, she changed into something more comfortable, and went to the kitchen.   
  
Sitting at the kitchen table, she dipped the spoon into the box in front of her, pulling out the cool  
frosty ice cream from within. Eating it slowly, she tried to forget everything that had happened.   
She felt miserable. She could still hear her parents arguing and wished they would just go away.  
  
Suddenly the door burst open, but she didn't care. It was as though she were watching them from  
a distance. She watched as her father pulled a paper from her mother's purse. Taking another  
bite of the ice cream, she tried to ignore their little quarrel.  
  
"Since when do you go around spying on people?" Sue asked impatiently.  
  
"I do it all the time. It's my job, I'm a cop!" he shot back.  
  
"But why me? Your own wife!"  
  
"My wife. And just what is this then? Twenty years of marriage and this is what I get!" Rick  
yelled, his anger rising by the minute. "If only for one brief moment I could feel your lips against  
mine. Explain that to me!"   
  
Toni stood up in disbelief, but her anger soon took control. "Daddy that's my letter, how could  
you!" Toni cried, tears beginning to give away as she finally broke down.   
  
"Your letter?" he asked, his voice softer now.  
  
"Jareth wrote this letter to me. How could you read it?!" she screamed. Running to her room,  
she slammed the door, her tears coming full stream now. Clutching the letter in her hands, she  
threw herself on her bed, crying the tears she had held for so long.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jareth walked into the throne room, noting that Hoggle was there for some odd reason. Not  
really caring why, he started toward the door when a peculiar phrase caught his ear.  
  
"Oh comes now, you sure you didn't write me this?" Hoggle held the letter in front of him. "I  
long to have your arms around me, and feel your body against mine." Hoggle gave her a smug  
grin.  
  
"That's my letter Hogwart!" Jareth bellowed, snatching it from Hoggle's hands. "I'm going to  
have to hire a guard goblin!" he muttered, walking away. "No, that's probably how you got it in  
the first place. Can't trust these stupid goblins to leave things alone, no of course not!" he yelled  
until finally he reached his room and his heavy door silenced his complaints.  
  
Sitting down on his bed, he stared at the letter, which had brought him nothing but trouble, then  
silently dropped it into a drawer.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sarah sat in the middle of the mess left over from the party. Feeling cheated somehow, she had a  
box of ice cream in front of her. Swiping up the chocolate syrup, she drizzled it over the top.   
Picking up a spoon, she prepared to take a bite, just to be interrupted by the doorbell. Setting it  
down again, she got to her feet and walked to the door. Pulling it open, she found Jareth standing  
on the other side.   
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked in a tired, bored voice.  
  
"Are you busy?" he asked.  
  
"Party's over Jareth," she replied.  
  
"Can I come in for a while?"   
  
"Why? What's wrong?" she asked, not up to conversation with him at the moment.   
  
"Toni and I... I don't know, I think I made a big mistake." he replied, trying to make sense of  
everything he felt.  
  
"As fascinating as that subject is to me, it's late and I want to go to bed." she stated, starting to  
shut the door, but Jareth caught it.   
  
"Wait a minute. What are you so upset about?" he asked, noticing her hostile behavior toward  
him.  
  
"Oh nothing much. You see, I gave this party today for a friend. Only there was a big highlight  
to the evening and I didn't know what it was. What it turns out to be is a couple of friends,  
getting it on in my parent's bedroom." she said, each word showing the hurt. "Next time you're  
going to do something like this, do you mind telling me first? Because I don't like being used."  
she snapped.  
  
"I didn't know it was going to happen Sarah," Jareth replied, taken aback by her hostility.  
  
"Everyone else seemed to," she retorted, the anger still in her voice.   
  
"Not much happened," he offered.  
  
"Yeah, sure," she scoffed.   
  
"Look, Sarah, nothing happened ok? I don't even know why I'm explaining this when it is not the  
reason I came." he shot back at her.  
  
"Am I supposed to guess?" she asked sarcastically.  
  
"Would you go out with me sometime?" he asked softly.  
  
"What?" she replied, scarcely believing her ears.  
  
"I think we should go on a real date. You and I," he suggested.  
  
"What happened to Toni?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know what happened. It just was not what I thought it should be. I expected her to be  
like..." he trailed off, searching for what to say. He caught her gaze, "you." he finished.   
  
Sarah was speechless.   
  
"You know we have a good time together, but it was not like that. So, she is beautiful, but you  
can only look for so long. Because when you start listening, all the lights are on but nobody's  
home. We have been friends for a long time. I like being with you more than anyone else." he  
said, searching her eyes for some glimmer of a chance. "You probably do not feel as I do, but  
perhaps we are overlooking something. So we should go on a date, just to see. What do you  
think?" he asked, hopeful of a positive response.  
  
Sarah stood there, taking in everything he had just said to her, and yet, she couldn't forgive him.   
"Jareth, I think you just won the asshole of the year award." she said, slamming the door in his  
face.  
  
Jareth stood there a few moments, her rejection not registering. Finally noting that she wasn't  
going to give him a second chance, he disappeared into the night.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
  
The next morning, Jareth sat alone in the park. The first place he met Sarah. She wouldn't even  
give him a chance. Sitting in self-pity, a shadow fell across his form. Looking up, he saw Toni  
standing there.  
  
"I just want to know one thing Jareth. Where's the man that wrote these letters?" she asked  
angrily, thrusting them forward at him.  
  
"Toni, I am sorry, but..." Jareth broke off, looking at the letters in his hand. "What are these?" he  
asked.   
  
"That's cruel Jareth, really cruel," she snapped.  
  
"Where did you get these?" he asked, confused.  
  
"From the man I thought I loved," she answered.  
  
"I did not write these. These aren't what I wrote." he replied, looking at the black writing that  
seemed vaguely familiar.  
  
"You just wait until Mike gets his hands on you. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes," she  
threatened, walking away in a huff.  
  
Jareth disappeared, back to his castle. Pulling his letter from the drawer, he looked at all three of  
them together. The writing was identical. "Sarah," he breathed. Pulling a phone from nowhere,  
he quickly rang her home number, getting her stepmother.  
  
"Is Sarah there, this is Jareth."  
  
"Oh hi Jareth. She's outside helping her father load the car," Mrs. Williams replied.  
  
"I have to talk to her," he persisted.  
  
"We're leaving in like two minutes," she said.  
  
"Sarah's leaving? Sarah's leaving me?" he asked, terrified of the future without her.   
  
"Yes, she's leaving on the school afloat. She has to be at the harbor at ten," she replied, not  
noticing the strain in his voice.  
  
"I have to talk to her. I have to see her!" he pleaded.  
  
"I have to go, they're honking. Bye." she said hanging up the phone.  
  
Jareth heard the dead air on the other end and felt his heart twist in his chest. "NO!!" he yelled  
into the phone before throwing it away from him.   
  
Sarah's stepmother got into the car. "Oh Sarah, that was Jareth. He said to tell you goodbye,"  
she said, fastening her seatbelt.  
  
Sarah sank back in her seat. So this was it.   
  
Jareth appeared in the kitchen of Sarah's home, glancing out the window, he saw the car pulling  
out. Running out the door, he called after them in a futile effort to make them stop. He wouldn't  
use his magic either. She had told him once that if it were meant to be it would happen. That it  
couldn't be forced, so he would track her down.   
  
Running to the corner, he tried to get anyone to stop. He was frantic to get to that harbor before  
she slipped through his fingers. Car after car drove past him but none would give him the time of  
day. Then a familiar figure met his eyes. "Mike!" he yelled in an attempt to get him to stop.  
  
Mike pulled a U-turn and pulled up beside Jareth.   
  
"You have to get me to the harbor, right away." Jareth commanded.  
  
"I've been looking for you," Mike replied icily.  
  
"Mike, you don't understand," Jareth said, taking a step back.  
  
"Toni told me everything," he stated, advancing.  
  
Jareth, feeling his future slip away, punched Mike as hard as he could.  
  
"I think you broke my nose," Mike muttered through his hands.  
  
"Are you alright?" Jareth asked, then seeing his keys in his hands, snatched them quickly. "I have  
to borrow your car!" Jareth called, as he jumped into the convertible. Starting the engine, he took  
off like a shot. Out onto the highway, in and out of traffic, Jareth made his way closer to his  
destiny.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sarah's parents pulled up to the dock. This was it. She felt her world close in on her, but  
wouldn't let it get to her. She would forget him in time. Pulling her things from the car, they  
carried them to the boat.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jareth found the exit, and quickly went off. Once he was there, he realized he had no idea where  
the boat was docked, so he pulled up alongside a security guard and asked directions. Deciding it  
was a bad idea to ask an old man for directions, he quickly pulled away.   
  
Driving blindly, not knowing which way to go, he again had the chance to ask directions.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sarah's stepmother took a picture of Sarah and her father, just before they told her to board.   
Saying her last goodbyes, she kissed her father goodbye and climbed aboard the boat she would  
spend the next year living on.   
  
The boat, now untied from the dock, slowly made it's way out to sea. A faint honking could be  
heard as though it were a million miles away.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jareth drove straight down the wharf, around forklifts and boxes only to come to a complete halt  
as Mike's car hit an obstacle. Climbing out of the car quickly, Jareth ran on calling out to her.   
  
"Sarah!" he called, reaching the end of the pier. "Sarah!" he could still see her, so there was still  
hope.  
  
"Jareth?!" she called back, surprised to see him there.  
  
"Sarah, I know you wrote the letters! Don't leave me! I love you!" Jareth yelled.  
  
"What?!" she called back.  
  
"I love you! Do you love me?!" he called out to her.  
  
"What difference does it make?!" she yelled back.  
  
"But do you love me?!" he asked again.  
  
"Yes! Does that make you feel better?!" she called back.  
  
"Yes!" he called back. Without warning, Jareth jumped into the water.  
  
"Jareth!" Sarah screamed, running down the length of the boat to the stern. Standing at the very  
back, she looked at Jareth still in the water. "Jareth!"   
  
"Come on Sarah, don't leave me," he whispered.  
  
Sarah stood there and looked around herself. Her future was at hand and here she was afraid to  
take the plunge. Is this what she really wanted? Is this how she wanted her future to be? Feeling  
a surge of energy, she knew what she wanted to do. Before anyone had a chance to stop her, she  
jumped from the ship.  
  
"Jareth!" she called, swimming towards him.  
  
Jareth swam to her. Taking her in his arms, he was finally happy. "I was beginning to get worried  
you wouldn't come back," he said, his forehead against hers.  
  
"Of course I'd come back," she replied. "I love you."  
  
Jareth smiled, bringing his lips to hers and kissing her passionately.   
  
  
The End ^_^ 


End file.
